The Cowardly Lion is the lion cub Elphaba and Fiyero brought into the woods during Part 1. This is spun into blaming Elphaba for the lion's cowardice - in the song "March of the Witch Hunters" the Tin Man has the lines: And the lion also / Has a grievance to repay / If she'd let him fight his own battles / When he was young / He wouldn't be a coward today! Answer from hikingdyke on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/wicked › who is the cowardly lion?
r/wicked on Reddit: Who is the cowardly lion?
November 28, 2024 -
By the end of Wicked it is set up that Fiyero would become the scarecrow and Boq would become the tin man. But who would become the cowardly lion?
Top answer 1 of 13
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If he is voiced by James Cordon I will be writing a strongly worded letter
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The Cowardly Lion is the lion cub Elphaba and Fiyero brought into the woods during Part 1. This is spun into blaming Elphaba for the lion's cowardice - in the song "March of the Witch Hunters" the Tin Man has the lines: And the lion also / Has a grievance to repay / If she'd let him fight his own battles / When he was young / He wouldn't be a coward today!
Us Weekly
usmagazine.com › home › who is the cowardly lion in ‘wicked: for good’? the ‘wizard of oz’ character’s origin explained
Who Is the Cowardly Lion in Wicked For Good? Backstory Revealed | Us Weekly
October 20, 2025 - It is implied that the Cowardly Lion’s experience of being locked up in a cage contributed to his fearful nature. ... In the Wicked: For Good trailer, the Cowardly Lion can be seen as a fully grown lion terrified in the forest.
Coward Lion and The Scarecrow in Part 2 (Spoiler)
In the book, the Cowardly Lion literally just doesn’t remember Elphaba at all so their connection doesn’t really play into it when he joins Dorothy. SPOILERS FOR THE MUSICAL: In the musical, it’s basically handwaved that the lion is cowardly because Elphaba “didn’t let him fight his own battle” and he resents her for it. Regardless, I think it’s a pretty easy explanation: the Lion wouldn’t remember Elphaba, and even if he does, he believes the propaganda that she’s evil and doesn’t know she’s actually trying to help him (there is a very clear Republican analogy here) More on reddit.com
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November 26, 2024I just realised how the lion became the Cowardly Lion...
I definitely do think the Cowardly Lion's "cowardly" nature is just PTSD from his experience as a cub. Seperated from his parents (they were most likely killed), trapped in a little cage, and then put on display would be incredibly traumatic, especially for a toddler. Elphaba 100% did the right thing rescuing him and letting him go, but he was way too little to be on his own (I wish she could've snuck him into her dorm. I'd love to see her and Glinda attempting co-parenting). More on reddit.com
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January 3, 2025Who is the cowardly lion?
The Cowardly Lion is the lion cub Elphaba and Fiyero brought into the woods during Part 1. This is spun into blaming Elphaba for the lion's cowardice - in the song "March of the Witch Hunters" the Tin Man has the lines: And the lion also / Has a grievance to repay / If she'd let him fight his own battles / When he was young / He wouldn't be a coward today! More on reddit.com
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November 28, 2024Are the scarecrow, tin man, and cowardly lion aware of who they are?
Fiyero likely knows the lion is the one he saved. I think he might know tinman is Boq, but Boq likely doesnt know the scarecrow is Fiyero (at least based off the musical) More on reddit.com
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November 26, 2024Who is the Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good?
In Wicked: For Good, the Lion who shows up in the forest to expose Elphaba's past to the other escaping animals is the grown-up cub from 2024's Wicked. In that film, after Professor Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage) is let go from his position at Shiz University, Professor Nikidik (Colin Michael Carmichael) takes over the class and introduces the students to animal cages, which are meant to discourage creatures from ever learning to speak. Elphaba is appalled, and with the help of Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey), they free the cub from his cage and release him into the forest.
The Lion was terrified of being left alone in the forest and grew up fearful, and he blames Elphaba for this. When they cross paths again in the forest near the animal escape tunnel under the Yellow Brick Road, he tells his animal kin that Elphaba was the one who used the spell that forcefully gave the monkey guards their wings, implying she did it with malice. The animals are then distrustful of Elphaba and continue their plan to escape Oz.
The Lion is then recruited by an angry Boq to join him and Dorothy to retrieve Elphaba's broom for the Wizard of Oz, and get rid of the Wicked Witch of the West once and for all.
nbc.com
nbc.com › nbc-insider › how-the-cowardly-lion-connects-to-wicked-for-good
How the Cowardly Lion Connects to Wicked: For Good
Who plays the Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good?
Actor Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) voices the CG Cowardly Lion character in Wicked: For Good.
nbc.com
nbc.com › nbc-insider › how-the-cowardly-lion-connects-to-wicked-for-good
How the Cowardly Lion Connects to Wicked: For Good
Who is the Cowardly Lion in Baum's book?
The Cowardly Lion first appears in the 1900 book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He encounters Dorothy as she's traveling to the Emerald City and tries to bite her dog, Toto. When she reprimands him, the lion admits he's a coward and asks to join her so he can ask the Wizard of Oz for courage and actually be the King of the Beasts.
nbc.com
nbc.com › nbc-insider › how-the-cowardly-lion-connects-to-wicked-for-good
How the Cowardly Lion Connects to Wicked: For Good
Videos
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'Wicked: For Good' Spoils Casting Colman Domingo As Cowardly Lion ...
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The Cowardly Lion in Wicked: A Tale of Loyalty and Redemption
BBC
bbc.com › news › articles › cr5e3p23dzvo
Colman Domingo to play Cowardly Lion in upcoming Wicked sequel
October 20, 2025 - American actor and playwright Colman Domingo has been cast as the Cowardly Lion in the upcoming Wicked: For Good film, putting to rest a weekend of internet speculation on who would play the role.
NBC
nbc.com › nbc-insider › how-the-cowardly-lion-connects-to-wicked-for-good
How the Cowardly Lion Connects to Wicked: For Good
Actor Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) voices the CG Cowardly Lion character in Wicked: For Good. The highly-anticipated sequel to 2024's Wicked, aptly titled Wicked: For Good, is now in theaters and closes out the story of Glinda, the Good Witch ...
Published November 21, 2025
Radio Times
radiotimes.com › home › movies › who are the scarecrow, tin man and cowardly lion in wicked: for good? full spoilers and roles explained
Who are the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good? Full spoilers and roles explained | Radio Times
November 21, 2025 - After being freed from captivity by Elphaba, the lion meets Dorothy and the Tin Man. In the film, he is being voiced by none other than two-time Oscar nominee and Euphoria star Colman Domingo, which was announced last month.
Fandom
wicked.fandom.com › wiki › Cowardly_Lion › Musical
Cowardly Lion | Wicked Wiki | Fandom
1 month ago - Nikidik, he is shown to be a small lion puppet in a cage, and Elphaba and Fiyero free him. Later, during March Of The Witch Hunters, the Tin Man (formerly known as Boq) tries to get the Lion to tell about what the Witch did to him, tugging on his tail (the rest of his body remains unseen), and since the Lion is reluctant to come out, Boq sings a verse about how if Elphaba had let the Lion fight his own battles, he wouldn't be so cowardly.
Hollywood Reporter
hollywoodreporter.com › movies › movie-news › colman-domingo-cowardly-lion-wicked-for-good-1236403538
Colman Domingo Is the Cowardly Lion in ‘Wicked: for Good’
November 19, 2025 - Domingo joins an already star-studded slate with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande playing Elphaba (now known as the Wicked Witch of the West in the second film) and Glinda (or Glinda the Good), respectively. The Cowardly Lion is one of a few new characters introduced in Wicked: for Good that hail from the mainstay story of The Wizard of Oz.
Variety
variety.com › 2025 › film › news › wicked-2-for-good-colman-domingo-cowardly-lion-1236554795
'Wicked: For Good' Casts Colman Domingo as Cowardly Lion
October 20, 2025 - 'Wicked: For Good' has cast Colman Domigo as the Cowardly Lion.
Digital Spy
digitalspy.com › movies › wicked › wicked: for good has a secret major star voicing the cowardly lion who will send fans "wild"
Wicked: For Good has a secret major star voicing the Cowardly Lion who will send fans "wild"
October 16, 2025 - The hotly-anticipated sequel to Wicked will see Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande reprise the roles of Elphaba and Glinda for a final showdown. As more stars are returning for the grand finale, Chu has given fans a little clue as to who will be voicing a key character. In a recent interview, the filmmaker has explained he'd reached out to a secret star on Instagram to have him voice the Cowardly Lion.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Cowardly_Lion
Cowardly Lion - Wikipedia
1 day ago - The Cowardly Lion returns in Wicked: For Good (2025), motion-captured by Omari Bernard and voiced by Colman Domingo. Now an adult, he appears when Elphaba attempts to convince the other Animals to confront the Wizard rather than flee.
TikTok
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Who Is Going to Be Cowardly Lion Tinman and ... - TikTok
January 6, 2025 - Good quality at good prices🌟 All creator-tested, shopper-approved, you’ll actually love · Celebrate Super Brand Day on TikTok Shop! Discover the biggest brands and their best deals of the year—exclusively on TikTok Shop · Beachwaver’s Super Brand Day is here from May 20–26, and ...
Capital FM
capitalfm.com › news › tv-film › wicked-lion-musical-part-2-who
Who is the Cowardly Lion in Wicked? Here's how the musical reveals his true identity - Capital
December 4, 2024 - Wicked's Jonathan Bailey & Jeff Goldblum Tease New Original Songs In Part 2 · WARNING: WICKED MUSICAL SPOILERS BELOW. Picture: Universal Pictures · Yes, you’ve already met the Cowardly Lion in the first Wicked movie. In The Wizard of Oz, ...
Heart FM
heart.co.uk › showbiz › wicked-who-tin-man-lion-scarecrow
Who are Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion in Wicked? Original ...
June 4, 2025 - While Wicked is a completely different story in it's own right, it does touch on some of the plot of Wizard of Oz - and incorporates some of the same characters, but just not as you've seen them before. Listen to Heart Musicals on Global Player, the official Heart app · That's right, if you've already seen Wicked Part One then you've already met the Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz, and in the highly anticipated Wicked: For Good, you will get to find out how they became the three companions of Dorothy.
The Direct
thedirect.com › homepage › movie › wicked movie: who becomes the lion, tin man and scarecrow from wizard of oz, revealed
Wicked Movie: Who Is the Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow ...
November 23, 2024 - Unlike the Scarecrow and Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion does not make any further appearances in the musical, at least not outside his tail being tugged by an irate Tin Man. However, considering how likely more expansive Wicked Part 2 will be, there ...
TODAY.com
today.com › popculture › movies › wicked-part-two-spoilers-rcna181072
What might happen in the next 'Wicked' movie? The musical has clues
In "March of the Witch Hunters," Boq is revealed to be the Tin Man from "The Wizard of Oz," and the lion cub Fiyero and Elphaba saved in Act 1 grows up to be none other than Cowardly Lion.
Published December 17, 2024
Reddit
reddit.com › r/wicked › coward lion and the scarecrow in part 2 (spoiler)
r/wicked on Reddit: Coward Lion and The Scarecrow in Part 2 (Spoiler)
November 26, 2024 -
Am I the only one confused on why people are having a hard time thinking about how they’re gonna tie up the Scarecrow storyline from the Wizard of Oz and Wicked? They could just explain he was pretending to follow along to Dorothy’s plan just so he could get to Elphaba and explain what was going on, and fake her death with her. Seems like an easy fix to me lol.
One thing I am actually concerned about is how they’re gonna make the Coward Lion be against Elphaba since she helped set him free and is clearly on a mission to help the animals (such as him) of Oz. What are your thoughts about this?
Top answer 1 of 5
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In the book, the Cowardly Lion literally just doesn’t remember Elphaba at all so their connection doesn’t really play into it when he joins Dorothy. SPOILERS FOR THE MUSICAL: In the musical, it’s basically handwaved that the lion is cowardly because Elphaba “didn’t let him fight his own battle” and he resents her for it. Regardless, I think it’s a pretty easy explanation: the Lion wouldn’t remember Elphaba, and even if he does, he believes the propaganda that she’s evil and doesn’t know she’s actually trying to help him (there is a very clear Republican analogy here)
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The problem is that it makes the scarecrow/Dorothy friendship disingenuous because he’s essentially lying to her the whole time. I personally cannot picture the scarecrow from the 1939 movie doing that to Dorothy at all, but maybe another scarecrow in alternate Oz universe would, lol.
The Direct
thedirect.com › homepage › movie › wicked part 2: here's what happens to elphaba, glinda & everyone else
Wicked Part 2: Here's What Happens to Elphaba, Glinda & Everyone Else
November 29, 2024 - Fans familiar with the Broadway musical of the same name and the 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland, have an idea of the next key events that will happen in the land of Oz. This includes the arrival of Dorothy and the friends she will meet along the way: Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. ... Elphaba (portrayed by the talented Cynthia Erivo) had quite the journey in Wicked Part 1.
ComicBook.com
comicbook.com › home › does dorothy show up in wicked (and what does it mean for part 2?)
Does Dorothy Show Up in Wicked (And What Does it Mean For Part 2?)
November 24, 2024 - While Dorothy’s iconic journey ... M. Chu is keeping audiences guessing about what’s next. The first installment of Wicked, which landed in theaters on Nov. 22, offers just a tantalizing peek at the Kansas farm girl. Her brief cameo appears during the opening sequence, showing Dorothy alongside her companions—the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, ...
Variety
variety.com › lists › wicked-movie-changes-musical-references
Wicked Movie: All the Changes Made to Musical and Every Reference
November 23, 2024 - As the camera pans over Oz before “No One Mourns the Wicked,” audiences see Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow easing on down the Yellow Brick Road. Will “Part 2” tie back the classic “Wizard of Oz” story more overtly than the musical?